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Cold Lake John Howard Society granted $100K for mobile outreach

The Cold Lake John Howard Society has received a $100,000 grant from Cold Lake’s City Council to establish a mobile outreach program to assist Cold Lake’s vulnerable and unhoused population.

The Cold Lake John Howard Society applied for The City of Cold Lake’s Social Inclusion and Infrastructure Grant Program and was the only organization to submit an application before the October 1 deadline for the 2022 intake. The grant gives $100,000 annually to organizations that implement unique solutions that assist the community’s vulnerable population.

Cold Lake Mayor Craig Copeland says the application proposed a much-needed, timely program that the most vulnerable residents are in increasing need of as winter weather approaches.

“The people at the Cold Lake John Howard Society are passionate about their work and want to build the capacity they need to continue to assist our residents who find themselves in need.”

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City Council heard from the Cold Lake John Howard Society saying the society has been impacted by the following:

  • the restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic
  • difficulty in achieving stable funding
  • difficulty in hiring trained staff
  • volunteer burnout
  • the lack of a facility from which to operate

The mobile outreach program will hopefully allow the group to overcome the lack of a facility and reach the vulnerable population where they are.

The program will allow two social workers to help people who are unhoused or grappling with addictions and mental health issues access services and help them to be aware of available assistance and provide meals and clothing. The Cold Lake John Howard Society also hopes to reduce the instances of hypothermia, frostbite, and death among the vulnerable population by providing food, clothing, and referrals to agencies so that people in need can receive targeted, one-on-one support. 

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